The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-04-02
POLITICAL METHODS IN MARYLAND

POLITICAL METHODS IN MARYLAND
The National Civil Service Reform League
Analyses CIeveland's Policy as Applied
in This State-Gorman, Rasin, Thomas
and Higgins Reviewed.
New YORK, March 3O.-The report of
the special committe, composed of Geo
VIM. Curtis, Carl SchurZ, Wayne Mac
Feagh, Charles J. Bonaparte, Charles X.
Goldman, Charles Clatfin Allen and Will
liam Potts, appointed by the National
Civil Service Reform league to investi
gate the present condition of the reform
movement, has been made public.
Ine report first reviews the operations
of the civil service law in New York and
Massachusetts, and expresses satisfaction
at the progress made and the good done.
In the earlier part of the report de
fence of President Cleveland is made,
and it is claimed that the hopes of the
civil services retormers were too high,
and that the Presidents declarations.
both before and after his election, were
misunderstood. Further Oh the report
says of Cleveland's enforcement of the
Civil Service law: The course of the
administration upon this subject must be
regarded as whole. In the view of re-
form there is no New England no Mary
land, no Indiana. In no state of the I'm
ion probably are politics more corrupt
than in Maryland. Fraud and dishonesty
are especially familiar at elections in Bal
timore, but happily, there is a most in
telhgent and resOlute body of citizens of
both parties in the state who persiStently
expose and courageously resist the evil
doors. The pending political question ia
Maryland when the administration en-
tered upon It's duties was the re. election
of Senator German, who had been chair
man OF the Democratic National E1ecu-
tive Committee during the presidential
campaign. Senator German is well
known as very adroit and successful
politician, and he is equally well known
as heartily hostile to Civil Service Reform
The political situation in Maryland made
it indispensable to the qualification of
his desire of re election that he should
be supposed to control the patronage of
the state. But he is SO conspicuous
leader of the system which is opposed
to reform, and he was so VIGOROUSLY in
control of the party machine that it was |
utterly impossible to suppose that he
would be selected as counsellor of an ad- |
mlniStration seeking reform of the |
abuses of which he was a chief represent
tatiSe. Politically speaking, Senator
German was the very thing to be re-
formed and his interference and solicita- |
ton upon the subject of appointments,
upon which he was to vote as senator,
would be evidently an insult to the ex-
ecutive and gross abuse of the Cousti- |
tuition. In view of the convictions of the |
President, of the reform purpose of the |
administration, and of the proper rela
tions of the executive and Legislative au-
thorty, l. seemed to be plain that Sena
tor German would not, in the current
phrase, control the patronage OF the |
state. Bat this conviction, if it should |
become general, would be fatal to the |
Seniors plans, and it was, therefore,
absolutely Indispensable for him that it |
should be removed at the very beginning
OF the administration by some positive,
significant and unmistakable act. This |
act appeared in one of the earliest APP
pOlntments made by the administration,
that of Eugene Higgins, prominent po-
litical retainer of the Senator's, to an
important minor position in the Treas
ulS. HIS was du luCluttlJ WDlcn cOulQ |
not be misunderstood 1t demonstrated
the Senator's influence and power, aud
even if there had been possible niSun-
der standing of its purPort, the misunder- |
standing was entirely dispelled by subse-
quent appointments.
AN UNsEEMLY IMPERTINENCE.
The committee has very detailed and |
authentic information concerning the |
chief appointments in Maryland But |
within the limits of report we can only |
state our conclusions, without reprOduc-
ing the detail OF facts upon which they
are based The character of these APP
pointments shows plainly that the intiu-
ence which determined most of them was
that OF Senator German, sustained in
general by his Congressional colleagues
with one or two exceptions. This fact
is not less significant because some of the
persons selected were not personal friends
of the Senator, and are of high personal
character. 1t is, of course, absolutely
impossible to reconcile, with respect to
sound principles of reform, appointments
made i'll difference to the advice or with
regard to the interests of conspicuous
enemy OF reform, whose unsOlisited IN
reference was an unseemly impertiuence
and constitutional wrong-appont-
ments sometimes made Notwithstanding
the uncontradlcted evidence of notorious
untitness submitted to the executive by
trustworthy and dislnteresCed citizens
1t is equally impossible that the political
situation in Maryland and the political
reputation of Senator German should
have been unknown to the administrs-
ton, or that under the circumstances the
ments should have been supposed to be
disin Cerested or to be given chiefly with
regard to the pubic welfare or with any
intention whatever of promoting reform
i'll the civil service. 1t is plain that the
worst appointments in the state have
been made either at the avowed request
or to the manifest political advantage of
the senator, and that, except i'll very
few INSTANCES, no important appointment
has been displeasing to him. The inter
ests of a senator and of faction, not of
the public service nor of reform, nor
even of a party. have apparently die
tated the chief appointments i'll Maryland.
This is the conviction of the warmest
friends of reform in that state in all par
ties, and it is certainly justified by the
information that we have received.
HIGGINS, RAsIN AND THOMAS.
We are not aware of any reason seri-
ously offered for such selections for pub
lie office as those of Messrs. Higgins.
Morris a. Thomas, Rasin and many
others, or for the removal of General APP.
praser Combs and others, but that such
action was recommended by senators and
representatives i'll Congress and reputa-
BILE citizens. But there is no unfit APP
pOintment of importance or imDrODer re-